


Different Kinds of Love

by Monarch_Sparrowhawk



Category: Nova (Comics)
Genre: Character Study, Developing Relationship, F/M, Family Dynamics, Found Family Dynamics, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Gen, Other, Platonic Relationships, Relationship Study, Romance, slight AU elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-15 09:35:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29433966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Monarch_Sparrowhawk/pseuds/Monarch_Sparrowhawk
Summary: The Greeks have seven different words for love. Sam has had experience with each one.
Relationships: Eva Alexander & Sam Alexander, Jesse Alexander & Sam Alexander, Kaelynn Alexander & Sam Alexander, Sam Alexander & Kamala Khan & Miles Morales, Sam Alexander & Richard Rider, Sam Alexander/Carrie, Sam Alexander/Jinin
Kudos: 7





	1. Eros & Pragma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam reflects on his relationship with Carrie. How it started, how it changed, and how it grew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is it cliche to post a fic about love on Valentines day? Well yes, but I'm cheesy like that.
> 
> Eros, otherwise known as romantic and passionate love. Where two people share an appreciation for each other's physical beauty and are sexually attracted to each other. In terms of Sam and Carrie, I like to think that Eros would describe their early stages of their relationship. Eventually over time I think their commitment to each other would grow stronger, and they'd develop the qualities like honor, respect, and understanding. This is Pragma, a type of love that is described as committed and companionate.
> 
> This is slight AU because we never did find out what happened between them after her character was cut out after the end of Volume 5. Which yes, I am still bitter. I like to think this is what could have been.

He always thought she was the prettiest girl he's ever seen. Even after she dyed her bangs purple, put in the piercings, and started dressing in all black. Actually he found her goth phase really hot. Hey, he's a teenage boy, he's going to think like that. They had been friends for the longest time, and it took forever for him to realize he had a crush on her. He took too long though, because now she was dating some jerk bag. He missed his chance.

She called him one night a few months later out of nowhere to tell him that she broke up with that douchebag boyfriend. He was ecstatic, and made sure not to miss his chance this time and promptly asked her out. She said yes. He caught the rebound! When they started dating he felt like he was flying through space, which since he has done that, he can confirm that that was true. How did he get to be so lucky? Falling in love with his childhood best friend, it's like something out of a movie. 

Their first time is awkward, but still enjoyable. They both were inexperienced, but that was okay. He hadn't expected it to be perfect. But that didn't matter, because at least he had the perfect girl.

They come so close to breaking up, her getting mad at him for disappearing for a month without so much as a text. He doesn't understand why she's so mad at him, he came back. Which is more than he can say for his dad. His mom, being the great woman she is, pulls him aside and tells him to stop acting like a jerk. The Latina woman sits him down and confides in him how hard it was being with his dad, not knowing how long he'd be gone for and if he would even come back. It's scary, she says, not knowing how he died. Sam understands completely now. He didn't want to leave Carrie behind like his dad did with his mom. He hugs his mom tight, and then runs all the way to his best-friend turned girl-friend's house and apologizes. She cries, he cries, but the important thing is is that they're on the same page now. They have more fights than this one of course, but it never gets this bad ever again.

He doesn't really ever stop being Nova, but when the Nova Corps eventually does get re-established he takes a step back. He's spent the better part of his life playing superhero, and he's thinking that maybe being Nova isn't all he wants anymore. Looking fondly at his girlfriend, who fell asleep hours ago with a half-open business textbook in her lap, his mouth curled up into a smile. They'd both be finishing college soon, and after that he wasn't sure what they would do next. But as he reached over to take the book off her lap and place a gentle kiss on her forehead, he knows they'll figure it out as long as they're together. He looks at the nightstand, then back at his sleeping girlfriend, and then figures he could wait till morning to ask.

Years later now, she still elbows him in the stomach when he introduces her as his ex-girlfriend.

"I'm your wife, space dork."

"I know." He says, a goofy smile hanging off his face. He leans over and places a kiss on her cheek. His mom swoons and his little sister complains that they're being gross. He laughs. Overall, they've had their ups and downs as both friends and lovers. But as he holds their first kid, a daughter, in his arms and sees the complete adoration in Carrie's eyes, he thinks he's got it all figured out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so this was truly just self-indulgent for my shipper heart. Throughout my fics you're probably going to see that I always head-canon their first child being a girl, because I'm weak for father-daughter relationships. And also that whole introducing her as his ex-girlfriend while she's his wife is something I 100% see Sam doing because he's a dork. Next chapter I'll be focusing on Philia, with Sam, Miles, Kamala, and a brief reference to some of the other Champions.


	2. Philia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Philia, meaning love shared between friends. People you trust, care for, and are connected to purely through choice. Sam reflects on what this means for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here's another chapter. So while this chapter does reference the Champions as a team, I'm mainly focusing on Sam, Miles, and Kamala's friendship. Honestly this trio gives me life, they're all such good friends. And also there is a brief reference to Sam's original first team in the comics, the New Warriors. Which honestly I enjoyed it, but alas the title is just cursed at this point.

He doesn't want to make new friends, especially ones that are superheroes. He's been having a good thing going by being a solo act. Besides the last team he was on was well, let's just say things didn't work out. But in a world of everchanging team rosters, the Avengers decided to go ahead and recruit kids. Next thing he knew he was being forced to join by his mom. 

  
"It'll be good for you mijo. You need friends."

  
"I have friends mama."

  
"I mean ones that are like you. Just trust me, okay?"

Well, his mother has never been wrong in his entire life, so he'll give it a chance. But he _knows_ he's not going to like it. His mom smiles and gives him a hug, and asks him to tell her how everything goes after the first team meeting that weekend. He gives her a fake smile and proceeds to sulk to his room, dreading the next morning. 

So... as it turns out, he was totally totally wrong about the whole 'not liking being on a team' thing. Because here he is, two months later hanging out on a skyscraper eating Marvel Burger with the new Spiderman and Ms. Marvel. As they were all teenagers leading double lives, they bonded pretty quickly. It felt right hanging out with them, people who were like him. Not that Carrie, Blake, and his other friends didn't matter, it was just nice to not have to hide his secret for once. He flings a French fry at Spiderman after the webslinger makes another awful pun. Ms. Marvel let's out a hard snort at the two boys' antics, and lemonade ends up spilling out her nose. Then they're all laughing.

It's been another few months, and he's the only one who's revealed his identity so far. But he understands why the other two don't want to share yet. Trusting someone with your secret identity is a huge step and they'll get there. Eventually.

Adults really suck sometimes. He thought that being a hero was more than just fighting bad guys, but he wasn't sure if the adult superheroes he's met so far really get that anymore. Ms. Marvel and Spiderman agree with him, and together the three of them watch as their Avengers ID cards burn, happy to be off the team.

  
"It's a new start." the scarf-adorned superheroine says. She sounds confident and self-assured, like a leader. Sam knows she'll be a good one.

  
"We can make something better. Be something better." the spider-themed superhero chimes in.

From that moment on they decide to make their own team, the Champions. It's him, Ms. Marvel, Spiderman, and their new android friend they picked up along the way, Viv Vision. She's really cool and can fly like him, so they do a lot of patrolling together. He likes her, because even if she's a super intelligent computerized being, she never makes him feel stupid. And there's the fact that she is completely open with him, not hiding behind a mask. Yeah, he might be a bit bitter that Double M and Webhead still haven't shared their secret identities with him yet. He tries not to let it eat at him, but it hurts that they don't trust him like he does them. Whatever, he'll get over it.

Then comes Amadeus Cho, the new Hulk. And Scott Summers, also known as Cyclops. He's a teenager now, which is kind of weird but it's a long story that he'd rather not lose his mind trying to understand. They're a full team now, and they're actually pretty good. They infiltrate a sex trafficking ring and successfully take the gross perverts running the thing down. Next they protect a school that was just trying to teach girls how to read. They're doing exactly what they said they would. The Champions are changing the world for the better. He wonders if his dad would be proud of everything he's done.

He loses his helmet and his world crashes down around him. It wasn't just not being Nova anymore that hurt, that helmet was the last thing his dad ever gave him. It was all he had left of him. He has a hard time being around the others, because it feels like a punch in the face every time they leave him to go on a dangerous mission. Then there's the whole Weirdworld fiasco, and he doesn't really like to think about what happened during it. He's kind of glad that it did happen, though, because it got him to finally open up to his team. Instead of pushing him away, Ms. Marvel and Spiderman, the ones he got dragged into this whole mess with, hug him and tell him it's going to be alright. He doesn't know how, but they both sounded so confident and he figured maybe he should trust his team on this one.

He gets his helmet back after going on a disastrous mission with a psycho alien warrior woman who wants to kill him. He totally forgot about Kaldera. He gets some sweet new upgrades too, the new armor kind of reminds him of Rich's costume. Huh, he wonders what the older Nova is up to these days. But the celebration doesn't last, because of course there's the whole mind control fiasco that happens next. Is the life of a superhero ever not chaotic? He almost has them cornered but then Ms. Marvel and Spiderman do the last thing anyone expected.

They take off their masks. And surprisingly, it works.

After things settle down, they make plans to hang out as Sam, Miles, and Kamala. They settle for a night in of binge-watching Avatar in the Pakistani girl's room. As he leans back against her ridiculous amount of superhero themed pillows and plushies, the other two teenagers sit down on either side of him, effectively sandwiching him in. They laugh and talk all night, and he can't imagine not having these two dorks in his life. They were his best friends and he wouldn't have it any other way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next is Ludus, which will be centering on Sam and Jinin. You know, that alien girl that appeared like once or twice in Volume 5 and was never heard from again? Yeah, discontinuity sucks.


End file.
